The African American Health Coalition presents its Health Disparities Conference, Oct. 17 and Annual Wellness Village, Oct. 18. The conference itself, featuring a keynote lecture on "The Truth About African Americans And Kidney Disease," by Dr. Clayton Smiley And Christine Sanders, is at the Airport Sheraton Hotel 8235 NE Airport Way, starting with registration at 10:30 a.m. The keynote address and luncheon runs from 11:30 to 1 p.m. 13th Annual Wellness Village is at The Blazers Boys & Girls Club, 5250 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Free health screening and activities at the Wellness Village include: flu shots; breast health workshop; vision; hearing; diabetes; and massage therapy. Activities and exhibits include African drumming by Chatta Addy; a cooking demonstration and tastings; gospel choir and children's activities. There will be kidney screening for the first 100 people who pre-register at 503-413-1850. There will be free membership to the Boys and Girls Club when parents get a kidney screening. For more information contact the AAHC at 503-413-1850 or visit www.aahc-portland.org

Renters Rights Training

The Community Alliance of Tenants, Oregon's only grassroots renters' rights organization, is giving a Renters' Rights Hotline training Nov. 8 and 9, from 2-6:30 p.m. at 2710 NE 14. The training includes a 3-hour tutorial on Oregon landlord-tenant law by a Legal Aid lawyer, interactive learning games, silly prizes, great snacks and most importantly, the knowledge to advocate for yourself and others. Renters in Oregon are having a tough time right now with rising rents, substandard housing conditions, housing foreclosures, unfair laws and unfair landlords. Everyone deserves a safe, stable and decent place to call home. That is why more volunteers are on the renters' rights hotline. Call Nancy at 503-460-9702 ext. 2 or email nancy@oregoncat.org for more info.

Youth Candidate Forum

A youth candidate forum is scheduled, Thursday, Oct. 16 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at David Douglas High School, room 68. 1001 SE 135th Ave. Come out and learn more about where candidates for City Council and Multnomah County Board stand on youth issues...as asked by young people themselves. This is the only youth-led, youth-specific event of the campaign season and is hosted by the Multnomah Youth Commission. For more information call Nate Waas Shull, youth engagement coordinator at the Office of Mayor Tom Potter, 503-823-4027, or emailnate.waasshull@ci.portland.or.us

Partnership to Deploy Drug Strategy

The city of Portland awarded the Oregon Partnership, an anti-drug organization, a $50,000 grant to implement the Citywide Drug Strategy. The Partnership is in the process of choosing one neighborhood to target with the money, which will eventually become a custom-made program to combat drugs using a variety of police enforcement, prevention and treatment strategies. They plan to announce the chosen neighborhood within the coming weeks – it will be a neighborhood in either North, Northeast or East Portland.